Commercial Driver License (CDL) Medical Certification

By no later than January 30, 2014, all CDL holders must provide information to the Department of Revenue regarding the type of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operation they do or expect to do. Drivers operating in certain types of commerce will be required to submit a current medical examiner's certification to the Department in order to obtain a "certified" medical status as part of their driving record.

CDL holders required to have a “certified” medical status who fail to produce and keep up-to-date their medical examiner’s certificate with the Department will become “not-certified” and they may lose their CDL. (See 302.768, RSMo and 49 CFR Section 383.71.)

The following FAQs will help you in determining how to meet the new medical certification requirements.

What must I do to comply with the new requirements for making my medical certification part of my CDL driving record?

When you:

Apply for a CDL;

Renew a CDL;

Apply for a higher class of CDL;

Apply for a new endorsement on a CDL; or

Transfer a CDL from another state,

…you will be required to self certify to a single type of commercial operation on your driver license application form. Based on that self-certification, you may need to provide a current medical examiner’s certificate and show any variance (waiver) you may have in order to obtain or keep your CDL.

How do I determine which type of CMV operation I should self-certify to the Department?

For the purpose of complying with the new requirements for medical certification, it is important to know how you are using the CMV. To help you decide, follow these steps:

Step 1: Do you, or will you, use a CDL to operate a CMV in interstate commerce or intrastate commerce?

Interstate commerce is when you drive a CMV:

From one state to another state or a foreign country;

Between two places within a state, but during part of the trip, the CMV crosses into another state or foreign country; or

Between two places within a state, but the cargo is part of a trip that began or will end in another state or foreign country.

Intrastate Commerce is when you drive a CMV within a state and you do not meet any of the descriptions above for interstate commerce.

If you operate in both intrastate commerce and interstate commerce, you must choose interstate commerce.

Step 2: Once you decide you operate or will operate in interstate commerce or intrastate commerce, you must decide whether you operate (or expect to operate) in a non-excepted or excepted status. This decision will tell you to which of the four types of commerce you must self-certify.

Interstate Commerce:

You operate in excepted interstate commerce when you drive a CMV in interstate commerce only for the following excepted activities:

To transport school children and/or school staff between home and school;

As federal, state or local government employees;

To transport human corpses or sick or injured persons;

Fire truck or rescue vehicle drivers during emergencies and other related activities;

Primarily in the transportation of propane winter heating fuel when responding to an emergency condition requiring immediate response such as damage to a propane gas system after a storm or flooding;

In response to a pipeline emergency condition requiring immediate response such as a pipeline leak or rupture;

In custom harvesting on a farm or to transport farm machinery and supplies used in the custom harvesting operation to and from a farm or to transport custom harvested crops to storage or market;

Beekeeper in the seasonal transportation of bees;

Controlled and operated by a farmer, but is not a combination vehicle (power unit and towed unit), and is used to transport agricultural products, farm machinery or farm supplies (no placardable hazardous materials) to and from a farm and within 150 air-miles of the farm;

As a private motor carrier of passengers for non-business purposes; or

To transport migrant workers.

If you answered yes to one or more of the above activities as the only operation in which you drive, you operate in excepted interstate commerce and do not need a federal medical examiner’s certificate.

If you answered no to all of the above activities, you operate in non-excepted interstate commerce and are required to provide a current medical examiner’s certificate (49 CFR 391.45) to the Department. Most CDL holders who drive CMVs in interstate commerce are non-excepted interstate commerce drivers.

If you operate in both excepted interstate commerce and non-excepted interstate commerce, you must choose non-excepted interstate commerce to be qualified to operate in both types of interstate commerce.

Intrastate Commerce:

You operate in excepted intrastate commerce when you drive a CMV only in intrastate commerce activities for which Missouri has determined do not require you to meet the state’s medical certification requirements.

You operate in non-excepted intrastate commerce when you drive a CMV only in intrastate commerce and are required to meet the state medical certification requirements.

If you operate in both excepted intrastate commerce and non-excepted intrastate commerce, you must choose non-excepted intrastate commerce.

Step 3: Provide the Department with your self-certification of your operating status. If you self-certify to non-excepted interstate, or non-excepted intrastate, you must provide a copy of your current medical examiner’s certificate.

If your medical examiner's certificate is only valid with a vision, diabetes or a skills performance evaluation variance (waiver) granted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), you are also required to provide a copy of that variance (waiver) document to the Department.

What if I am an existing CDL holder who does not have a license renewal, before January 30, 2014?

The Department will mail out postcard notifications requiring you to go to your local license office and provide them with your self-certification of operating status within 60 days from the date on the postcard. If required, you must also provide your current medical examiner's certificate and any variance (waiver) document.

After I provide my unexpired medical examiner's certificate to the Department, do I still have to carry an original or copy of my medical examiner's certificate?

Yes, until the program is fully implemented on January 30, 2015 you will still have to carry an original or copy of the medical examiner's certificate and provide a copy to your employer for your driver qualification file.

What if I do not provide my self-certification and if required, my medical examiner's certificate and any required variance (waiver) document?

What should I do when my medical certificate and/or variance (waiver) is about to expire?

You must have a new medical examination and obtain a new medical certificate. You must then provide a new medical examiner's certificate to the Department. You are also responsible for applying to FMCSA for a renewal of your variance (waiver).

What happens if my medical examiner's certificate or variance (waiver) expires before I provide a new one?

If I am required to obtain a new or renewal medical certificate, can any physician perform the physical and issue the card?

No. If your current medical certificate expires on or after May 21, 2014, you must be examined by a medical professional listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. Only medical examiners that have completed the required training and testing for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) physical qualification standards will be added to the registry. The registry is maintained by FMCSA, and inquiries regarding participation in the registry must be submitted through that agency.

How can I get my CDL privileges back if I am non-certified?

If the medical examiner's certificate has expired, you must obtain a new one and provide it to the Department. If the variance (waiver) has expired, you must renew it with FMCSA. Retesting may not be required unless you voluntarily downgrade your license or let your CDL license remain expired for more than six months.